Seventeen Years

Seventeen years ago at this very moment, I was picking up my wedding dress with my mom. 

Now I didn't love my wedding dress, but with only six weeks to throw together a wedding and until about six hours before, I lived in a different state, it was the best I could do.  My mom, dad and my wonderful Aunt RoseAnn, who surprised me by flying out from Vermont with my parents to attend my wedding had been in Idaho for a few hours.

My poor dad had been through the wringer.  Like seventeen years ago, it was a Thursday, I was married on Friday and my grandfather had died the previous Sunday.  So not even a week had passed and my dad flew to Florida from Albany N.Y. and back again, washed his laundry and flew out to Salt Lake, followed by that long drive to Idaho.  Truly an act of love, since my dad was unable to enter the temple to view my wedding.

I honestly expected him to stay with his mother instead of flying out here.  I knew he loved me but since he could only wait outside the temple, I wouldn't have been either surprised or hurt if that had been his choice but he chose me.

So what does that mean to me?  Well, I didn't know how deeply my dad loved me.  Oh I knew he loved me, but to choose to come to Idaho, it really touched my heart deeply. 

Well and my dad got to meet Kent. 

Kent, I fell in love with him so fast.  Everything was and is right about being his wife.  That doesn't mean my dad and Kent ever really had much to talk about.  Different beliefs concerning life, politics, religion, yet I could talk hours with either man.  So the common denominator was me.

I love Kent.  He's such a wonderful father, caring spouse, funny, so many wonderful qualities, how could I not fall in love.  And he loves me. 

I wish we could spend tomorrow together, but we seldom actually get to spend time together for our anniversary.  Hopefully we'll be able to carve out time for dinner together and if not, we'll make sure we connect this weekend.  The twins can't understand why we'd want to spend time alone without them but they'll just have to not understand.

I do enjoy conversation without talk of bathroom habits, toys, dirt or whatever else the almost six year olds can come up with.  Call me crazy.

So here's to seventeen years, I hope for that and more to come with my sweetheart.